JPH09202246A - Steering device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To assure an energy absorbing stroke as much as possible against impact within a limit in an aspect of a lay out in the steering device equipped with the energy absorbing member relaxing impact acting in the longitudinal direction when a vehicle collides in a space between a column and a column support. SOLUTION: A column support 5 is fixed to the side of a body faced to a driver's seat, and an easily deformable energy absorbing member 7a is connected with a the column support 5 by a pin 12 in such a way as to be projected to the driver's seat side. The outer circumference of a steering column 2a is combined with the projected surface of the energy absorbing member 7a, and the deformation promotion element 20 as an energy absorbing part which acts secondarily against a connection pin 12 from the time of collision, is added to a portion of the steering column 2a in a specified range corresponding to the connection pin 12. A hole 20a promoting the crushed deformation which forces a steering shaft to be opened outside out of the circumference of the steering column, is provided as the deformation promotion element 20. And a hole 21 to be piled up over the hole 20a is formed over the energy absorbing member 7a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a steering device having an energy absorbing function for absorbing a shock to a driver when a vehicle crashes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A steering device having an energy absorbing function has been conventionally known in order to reduce an impact force when a driver collides with a steering wheel at the time of a vehicle collision (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-291137, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-291137). Kaihei 7-27
No. 7202). Explaining an example thereof with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the steering shaft 1 includes a shaft portion 1a penetrating the column 2, a shaft portion 1b penetrating the tube 3, and the like.

The shaft portion 1b is connected to the tube 3 through a spline or the like so as to be expandable and contractible in the axial direction (telescopic movement possible), and the shaft portion 1a can be bent forward and backward (tiltable) via a joint (not shown). Connected to. The tube 3 is further connected via a joint 4 to a shaft portion (not shown) on the gearbox side.

A column support 5 is provided on the vehicle body side facing the driver's seat.
Is fixed, and a pair of left and right side walls 5b and 5c are provided on the substrate 5a so as to project in a vertical positional relationship. The column 2 rotatably supports the shaft portion 1a, and the bracket 6 corresponding to the side wall 5b of the column support 5 is provided on the outer periphery thereof.
Similarly, the energy absorbing member 7 corresponding to the side wall 5c is fixed. An adjusting hole 8 extending in the axial direction of the shaft portion is formed in the bracket 6, and the side wall 5b of the column support 5 is supported by the bolt 9 and the nut 10 through the hole 8.

The energy absorbing member 7 is made of a relatively easily deformable plate and has an adjusting hole 11 extending in the axial direction of the shaft portion 1a. The energy absorbing member 7 is supported by the pin 12 on the side wall 5c of the column support 5 through the adjusting hole 11, and the adjusting hole 1 for guiding the movement of the pin 12 in the front-back direction.
3 is provided on the side wall 5c of the column support 5. Pin 1
2, the energy absorbing member 7 is sandwiched between the side walls 5c of the column support 5, inserted into these adjusting holes 11 and 13 from one side, and tightened by the adjusting lever 15 via the nut 14 on the opposite side. The adjusting lever 15 is connected to the nut 14 with a bolt 16.

When adjusting the position of the steering wheel (not shown), when the tightening force of the pin 12 is loosened by the adjusting lever 15, the column 2 and the shaft portion 1a together with the bolt 9 of the bracket 6 serve as the fulcrum. It is movable in the axial direction and the front-back direction in the range of 11 and 13, respectively.

The energy absorbing member 7 is largely deformed inward by a shock acting in the front-rear direction at the time of a collision of the vehicle, centering on the joint surface wrapping around the column outer periphery, and the collision energy is absorbed by the stroke m accompanying this deformation. To do. At that time, the maximum load is generated when the column 2 collides with the pin 12 via the energy absorbing member 7 (see FIG. 4).

[0008]

The stroke m associated with the deformation of the energy absorbing member is subject to layout restrictions including the visibility of the driving position and meters, but within that range the shock absorbing performance is limited. It is desirable to set it as large as possible in order to raise it.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for realizing such a demand.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a column support is fixed to the vehicle body facing the driver's seat, and an easily deformable energy absorbing member is projected from the column support toward the driver's seat. While connecting with a pin with the state,
The outer periphery of the steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft is connected to the projecting surface of the energy absorbing member toward the driver's seat, and a connecting pin is provided on the steering column portion within a predetermined range corresponding to the connecting pin between the energy absorbing member and the column support. The deformation promoting element of the column is added as an energy absorbing portion that acts secondarily from the time of collision.

In a second aspect of the invention, a hole for promoting the crushing deformation that exposes the steering shaft to the outer periphery of the steering column is provided as the deformation promoting element of the column in the first invention.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, a hole for contacting the connecting pin with a steering shaft exposed through a hole as a deformation promoting element of the column is formed on the outer periphery of the steering column of the energy absorbing member. Form on the bonding surface.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the hole as the deformation promoting element of the column according to any one of the second aspect and the third aspect of the invention, the steering column is integrally formed with the steering shaft in a predetermined adjustment range in the axial direction. In a movable telescoping type steering device, an elongated hole extending in the axial direction is formed with a length corresponding to the adjustment range of the steering column.

[0014]

In the first aspect of the invention, the energy absorbing member collides with the connecting pin due to the impact acting in the front-rear direction when the vehicle collides, and the steering column portion including the deformation promoting element is further crushed. You can make a big stroke.

In the second aspect of the invention, when the steering column portion is crushed by the connecting pin, the steering shaft is exposed at the outer periphery of the steering column through the hole as the deformation promoting element, so that the stroke of the steering column is absorbed in a stroke for absorbing impact. The plate thickness can be further increased.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the energy absorbing member and the steering column portion are deformed when the vehicle collides, and the steering shaft directly abuts the connecting pin through the hole of the steering column and the hole of the energy absorbing member. The thickness of the member can be added to the stroke to absorb the shock.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, by adjusting the position of the steering wheel (telescopic adjustment), even if the steering column moves axially integrally with the steering shaft, the deformation promoting element of the column has a length corresponding to the adjustment range. Because of the hole, the connecting pin does not collide with the outer circumference of the steering column by coming off the elongated hole. That is, the function of promoting the crushing deformation, in which the steering shaft is exposed to the outer periphery of the steering column by the collision of the connecting pin and abuts against the pin through the hole of the energy absorbing member, can always be ensured normally.

[0018]

1 and 2, reference numeral 5 denotes a column support on the vehicle body side, and a pin 12 is provided on a side wall 5c facing the column support.
The energy absorbing member 7a of the column 2a is supported via. The energy absorbing member 7a is made of a relatively easily deformable plate, and has an adjusting hole 11 extending in the axial direction of the shaft portion 1a. Since the overall configuration is the same as in FIG. 5,
The same parts are given the same reference numerals to minimize duplication.

An adjusting hole 13 for guiding the movement of the pin 12 in the front-rear direction is provided in the side wall 5c of the column support 5, and the pin 12 sandwiches the energy absorbing member 7a between the side walls 5c of the column support 5 to adjust the adjusting hole 11, Insert into 13 from one side,
It is tightened on the opposite side by means of an adjusting lever 15 via a nut 14.

The column 2a within a predetermined range corresponding to the pin 12 of the column support 5 has a width of 2 from the point of collision with the pin 12.
A column deformation promoting element 20 is provided as an energy absorbing portion that works next. In this case, the deformation accelerating element 20 is provided as a hole 20a that not only facilitates the column 2a to be crushed in the radial direction due to the collision with the pin 12, but also crushes and deforms the shaft portion 1a to the outer periphery of the column 2a.

Since the pin 12 is directly abutted against the shaft portion 1a exposed through the hole 20a in the column 2a portion, a hole 21 overlapping the hole 20a in the column 2a portion is formed in the energy absorbing member 7a. Since the column 2a can move in the front-rear direction and the axial direction together with the shaft portion 1a in accordance with the position adjustment of the steering wheel (not shown), these holes 20a and 21 are formed in the energy absorbing member 7a.
The adjustment hole 11 has a length substantially the same as that of the adjustment hole 11 and extends in the axial direction of the shaft portion 1a.

With such a structure, the energy absorbing member 7a wrapped around the outer periphery of the column a is deformed inward by the impact acting in the front-rear direction at the time of the collision of the vehicle and collides with the pin 12, and the column having the deformation promoting element 20 from that point. 2a is pin 1
It is crushed by 2. Since the elongated hole 20a as described above is provided as the deformation promoting element 20 of the column 2a, the shaft portion 1a is exposed to the outer periphery of the column 2a by the crushing deformation of the column 2a portion as shown in FIG. 3, and the hole of the energy absorbing member 7a is formed. 21
It is exposed from and directly collides with the pin 12.

As a result, the deformation amount of the column 2a is added to the deformation amount of the energy absorbing member 7a, and the plate thicknesses of the column 2a and the energy absorbing member 7a are also utilized in the stroke n for absorbing the impact, so that the layout is limited. Within, the stroke n can be made larger than the conventional stroke m. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to reduce the maximum impact load due to the position regulation of the pin 12.

Even if the column 2a moves in the axial direction together with the shaft portion 1a by adjusting the position of the steering wheel,
Since the hole 20a of the column 2a and the hole 21 of the energy absorbing member 7a which overlaps with the hole 20a are oblong holes depending on the adjustment range thereof, the pin 12 does not collide with the column 2a side from the oblong holes. In other words, the functions of the holes 20a and 21 that make use of the plate thicknesses of the column 2a and the energy absorbing member 7a in the stroke n for absorbing impact can be always ensured normally.

[0025]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the column support is fixed to the vehicle body side facing the driver's seat, and the easily deformable energy absorbing member on the column support is projected toward the driver's seat side from the column support. While connecting with the pin, the outer periphery of the steering column that rotatably supports the steering shaft is connected to the projecting surface of the energy absorbing member toward the driver's seat, and a predetermined range corresponding to the connecting pin between the energy absorbing member and the column support is provided. Since the deformation assisting element of the column is added to the steering column portion as an energy absorbing portion that works secondarily from the time of collision with the connecting pin, the stroke for absorbing the impact by the deformation of the steering column portion can be greatly increased.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, as the column deformation promoting element in the first aspect, a hole for promoting crushing deformation that exposes the steering shaft to the outer periphery of the steering column is provided. The plate thickness of the column can be added.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, a hole for contacting the connecting pin with the steering shaft exposed through the hole as the deformation promoting element of the column is formed in the outer periphery of the steering column of the energy absorbing member. Since it is formed on the coupling surface with the steering column, not only the plate thickness of the steering column but also the plate thickness of the energy absorbing member can be added to the stroke for absorbing the impact.

According to the fourth invention, the hole as the deformation promoting element of the column in any one of the second invention and the third invention is such that the steering column is integrally formed with the steering shaft in a predetermined axial direction. In a telescopic steering device capable of moving the adjustment range, since it is formed in an elongated hole extending in the axial direction with a length corresponding to the adjustment range of the steering shaft, the steering column and the energy absorbing member are irrespective of the position adjustment of the steering wheel. The function of the hole that makes use of the thickness of the plate in the shock absorption stroke can always be ensured normally.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view taken along arrow A of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram similarly showing a deformed state at the time of collision.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram of shock absorption compared with a conventional example.

FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a shock absorbing device.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line BB as a conventional example.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a deformed state at the time of impact.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a Shaft Part 2a Column 5 Column Support 5c Side Wall 7a Energy Absorbing Member 12 Pins 20a Hole as Column Deformation Promoting Element 21 Hole in Energy Absorbing Member

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A column support is fixed to a vehicle body side facing a driver's seat, and an easily deformable energy absorbing member is connected to the column support by a pin so as to project toward the driver's seat from the column support, while a steering shaft is provided. The outer periphery of the steering column that rotatably supports the vehicle is coupled to the protruding surface of the energy absorbing member toward the driver's seat, and the steering column portion within a predetermined range corresponding to the connecting pin between the energy absorbing member and the column support collides with the connecting pin. A steering apparatus for a vehicle, wherein a column deformation promoting element is added as an energy absorbing portion that acts secondarily from the time point. 2. The steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a hole for promoting crushing deformation that exposes the steering shaft to the outer periphery of the steering column is provided as a deformation promoting element of the column. 3. A hole for contacting a connecting pin to a steering shaft exposed through a hole as a column deformation promoting element is formed on a coupling surface of the energy absorbing member with the outer circumference of the steering column. The steering device according to claim 2. 4. The telescopic steering device, in which the steering column is movable integrally with the steering shaft in a predetermined adjustment range in the axial direction, has a hole as a deformation promoting element of the column according to the adjustment range of the steering column. The steering device according to any one of claims 2 and 3, wherein the steering device is formed in an elongated hole extending in the axial direction.